Sheet-coating machine.



Patented May 30, 1916,

4 SHEETS -SHEET I- gi l, mw m rm: COLUMBIA PLANOURAPH 110., WASHINGTON, n. c.

E. M. HAWKINS.

SHEET comma MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED NOV- 17, I914- 1 1 85 ,20 1 Patented May 30, 1916.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

E. M. HAWKINS.

, SHEETYCOATING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FlLED NOV. 7| I914.

Patented May30, 1916.

4 SHEETSSHEET 3- Patented May 30, 1916.

fin I HIS A TTORIl/E Y 4 SHEETS-SHEET 4- Br um iii? earns ra'r a.

EDGAR M. HAWKINS, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO M. D. KNOWLTON COMPANY, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

SHEET-COATING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May so, 1916.

Original application filed July 29, 1911, Serial No. 641,246. Divided and this application filed November 17, 1914. Serial No. 872,544.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDGAR M. HAWKINS, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sheet- Coating Machines, of which the following is a specification.

In my co-pending application, Serial No. 641,246, filed July 29, 1911, asheet coating machine is disclosed, by means of which sheets, such for example as labels, wrappers, etc., may be coated or gummed successively and automatically by power mechanism. A machine of this kind is useful mainly for gumming sheets to be applied one at a time to boxes or other articles.

The present application is a division of the application referred to above, and is directed to the gumming mechanism per 86, which is disclosed but not claimed in said co-pending application.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improved sheet coating machine, certain parts being broken away to illustrate the construction clearly; Fig. 2 is a plan of the same; Fig. 3 is a substantially central vertical longitudinal section of the same; Fig. 4i is a transverse section through the bed or base of the machine; Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional rear elevation of a portion of the machine illustrating particularly the feed roll and the means for starting and stopping it; and Fig. 6 is a vertical longitudinal section of the same, the section being taken on the line 66 of Fig. 5 looking in the direction of the arrow, the feed roll being shown in operative relation with the driving mechanism.

Similar reference characters designate like parts in all the figures of the drawings.

The various operative parts of the mechanism may be mounted upon any suitable frame, the preferred construction being that shown herein, in which the main frame comprises a casting, designated generally by 2, forming both a support for the moving parts of the machine and also means for containing the glue or other adhesive to be applied to the sheets. In addition this base casting also has means for applying heat to the glue or other adhesive for the purpose of maintaining it in a proper liquid condition throughout the operation of the machine. Both at its forward end and at its rear end the body of thiscasting is shown as extended, the forward end being extended, as shown at 3, both for the purpose of supporting the forward operating parts of the machine and for the purpose of permitting a glue-trough or reservoir to extend sufficiently far forward, and

the rear end having bracket extensions 4:

for supporting operating parts of the mechanism at the rear of the machine.

The feeding means for feeding sheets successively to the gumming mechanism is described and claimed in the abovementioned application. It is adapted to be brought into operation to feed sheets suecessively or intermittently, this action being under the control of an operator who will usually be located at the forward end of the machine in position to remove. sheets from the gumming means as fast as they are gummed. The feeding means is preferably driven from a suitable main shaft,

such as 5, from which the gumming means will also preferably be operated. This 'shaftis shown as driven by a band-wheel 6, which may be connected with any suitable source of power (not shown) 1n any desired way, and is mounted in suitable bearings in 5 side frames 7 risingfrom the main casting or bed near the longitudinal center of the ma-' chine. In the construction shown the shaft 5 has secured thereto substantially at the transverse center of the machine a ratchet wheel 8 which is held against rotation on the shaft by means of a spline. The shaft 5 and its ratchet-wheel are intended to be continuously rotated by the band-wheel 6, and

through them movement will be imparted in the present construction intermittently to a suitable feed member, such as a feedroll 9. This feed-roll is also located substantially at the transverse center of the machine. with a suitable flexible material, such as rubber, for the purpose of gripping the Its surface 1s preferably covered sheets or labels firmly and positively feeding them through the machine to the gumming means. This feed-roll may be brought intermittently into engagement with or dis engaged from the power mechanism ust de scribed for driving it by any suitable coupling means. That illustrated comprises a pawl 10 pivoted at 11 in the interior of the feed-roll and having a tooth 12 adapted to be projected into the path of and engaged by the teeth of the ratchet-wheel 8 for the purpose of coupling it to such ratchetwheel and causing it to be rotated thereby. Normally this pawl 10 will be held, as by means of a spring 13, in position to be clutched by the ratchet-wheel, and hence the feed roll will normally be clutched to the shaft 5 and rotated therewith.

The feed member shown is preferably so combined with means for holding a sheet in operative relation therewith as to be movable into and out of feeding relation with a sheet, the preferred construction being one in which a relatively thick pile or bunch of sheets is carried by a suitable sheetholding means and in which the means for feeding sheets successively from such a pile or bunch is adapted to have the pressure exerted on it for feeding a sheet relieved or released at a predetermined point in the operation of the machine. In the preferred construction illustrated herein this relieving or releasing of feed pressure occurs intermittently and is due in part to the construction of the feed-roll and in part to means for receiving intermittently a part of the feed pressure borne by the feed-roll during the feed operation. The feed-roll shown is illustrated as having at 14 a flat tened periphery movable in a path of less diameter than that in which the feeding portion of the periphery of the roll 9 travels, this flattened portion of the feed-roll being intended to be brought to the position shown in Fig. 3 each time a sheet is fed forward far enough to bring it into proper cooperative relation with the gumming means. The means just referred to for receiving a portion of the feeding pressure will preferably come into action substantially at the moment that the effective portion of the periphery of the feed-roll reaches the inop-.

erative position. The means employed may be any suitable for the purpose, one or more idlers or idler-rolls, such as 15, being shown herein and having their working surfaces, that is, the points intended to come in contact with a sheet, located or movable in a path lying between the paths of movement of the effective and flat portions respectively of the periphery of the feed-roll. By means of this construction it will be clear that normally the whole pressure exerted on a sheet to hold it in contact with the feed-roll will be exerted against the effective portion of the periphery of the feed-roll, but that when the parts are in the positions shown in Fig. 3 feed pressure will be transferred from the effective portion of the surface of the feed-roll to the idler rolls 15. These rolls being small and light will oppose but slight resistance to the continued forward movement of the sheets by the gumming means, and the feed-roll though then in a stationary position will oppose no resistance to the sheets, in the preferred construction illustrated, because it will then be wholly out of contact with the sheet.

Any suitable means under the control of the operator may be employed for governing the starting and stopping of the feedroll just described. That shown herein comprises a connecting-rod l6 usually operated by a treadle (not shown) and means operated thereby for controlling the coupling and uncoupling of the pawl and ratchet within the feedroll. Here the connecting rod 16 operates a shifting-lever 17 in the form of an angle-lever the long arm of which extends upward substantially vertically and is movable at its upper end through a short and nearly horizontal are. At said upper end it is illustrated as pivotally connected, to a slide or pin 18 secured at its inner end to a radial ear or lug 19 of a sleeve 20 mounted to slide freely on the shaft 5 while the shaft turns freely therein. This sleeve is also shown as held against rotation by the smooth shank of a screw 21 fastened to the adjacent side frame-piece 7,

- the sleeve being free to slide on the smooth shank of this screw as well as on the shaft 5. Said sleeve is also illustrated'as having a second projecting ear or lug 22 having a pin 23 in fixed relation therewith for cooperation with the feed-roll, and particularly with the pawl 10 thereof. Normally a coiled spring, such as 2 1, in an enlarge ment of the bore in which the pin or slide 18 works, tends to force the sleeve 20 and consequently the pin 23 inward and into the plane of rotation of the feed roll. It will be noticed that this feed-roll is open at the end adjacent to the pin 23, it having in the construction illustrated an annular endplate 25 with a large central opening. The major portion of the inner edge of the pawl 10, when that pawl is out of action, is also preferably defined by the same circle that defines the opening in the end-plate 25. Moreover, the pin 23 is so located as to lie just within this circle, and it is movable into and out of said opening in a path lying just within said circle, as clearly shown in Fig. 6. It is therefore out of the path of all of the operating parts except those portions of the pawl 10 with which it is intended to cooperate. It will be noticed that the pawl 10 has a slight rise or projection at 26 followed by 'a depression or locking-notch 27 which in this case is immediately adjacent to the tooth of the pawl. Normally when the foot of the operator is released from the operating treadle (not shown) the spring 24 will force the uncoupling pin 23 into the opening in the end of the feed-roll, and as said feed-roll turns the inner edge of the end-plate 25 will pass around said pin without interference until the pawl 10 comes into position for operation, when said pawl will strike said pin and will be forced out thereby toward the periphery of the feed-roll from the position shown in Fig. 6 to that illustrated in Fig. 3 said pin riding over the projection 26 and into the locking recess 27, when the pawl reaches the proper point in its travel. The projection 26 prevents back-lash and assures the locking of the feed-roll in a predetermined position, which is that shown in Fig. 3, with the fiat face of the feed-roll out of contact with a sheet.

The sheet-holder illustrated is designated generally by 30 and is pivoted at 31 in bearings at the upper rear ends of the bracket 4. At its forward end it has a range or are of movement suflicient to accommodate a pile of sheets of the desired thickness, say one or two inches; and in connection with this sheet-holder suitable means are provided for exerting feed pressure upon it constantly for holding the outer or upper sheet in position to be fed. This feed pressure will be exerted against the circular periphery of the feed-roll when the fiat portion of said roll is-not adjacent to the uppermost sheet, but when the circular portion of the feed-roll begins to leave the sheet the forward end of the sheet-holder and the pile of sheets thereon will rise slightly and feed pressure will be transferred from the circular periphery of the feed-roll to the idler-- rolls 15 before described. Any suitable means will. be employed for exerting this feed pressure on the sheet-holder. That shown herein comprises a counterweighted lever 32, here illustrated as a cam-lever, this lever being fastened to the rock-shaft 33 mounted in suitable bearings on the framework and having a cam-arm 34 on which the sheet-holder 30 rests. The feed-pressure exerted by this counter-weighted lever may be varied as desired by means of the adjustable weight 35 mounted to slide on the long arm of the lever and to be held in any desired adjusted position thereon.

The sheets are held in place on the sheetholder 30 and permitted to be fed one at a time only by means of the needle points 38 mounted in a swinging frame 43.

The main elements of the gumming means shown are a trough or reservoir for glue or other adhesive, which trough is designated generally. by 55 and a glue-roll or gumming roll indicated at 56. This glue-roll is intended to coeperate with and is located with its periphery close to the feed roll. Pref-- erably the glue-roll 56 will be continuously rotated in order to prevent hardening and drying of the glue on its surface and it will also preferably be driven directly from the main shaft 5. The driving connections illustrated consist only of a pair of spur-gears, one of which is indicated at 57 and is secured to the main shaft 5, and the other of which is illustrated at 58 and is secured to the shaft 59 carrying the glue-roll. By'

means of these twospur-gears, the glue-roll is rotated continuously, while by means of the devices before described, the feed-roll is rotated intermittently in any desired timing controlled by the operator. The glue-roll is preferably mounted in a swinging frame designated generally by 60 and having its axis of movement in the shaft 5. At their forward ends, the main side pieces of the frame 60 are suitably connected and braced and they also have suitable bearings for supporting a longitudinally movable shaft 61 carrying pick-off fingers 62, weighted as shown at 63, for the purpose of maintaining them in contact with the surface of the glueroll and assure the removal of the gummed sheets. Correspondingweighted presser-fingers are illustrated at 64 for pressing down onto the glue-roll sheets emerging from the feeding means. Each sheet is normally po- 1 sitionecl at its forward end by the stop or cross-piece 65 and passes above the latter beneath a plate 66 into contact with the gummed surface of the glue-roll by which it is carried upward and under the fingers 64.

For the purpose of regulating the thickness of the film of adhesive or glue on the roll 56, an adjustable doctor-roll, such as 67, is preferably employed. This doctor-roll is carried by a shaft 68 journaled in bearing blocks 69 mounted to slide in guides 70 in the sides of the swinging frame 60, the bearing-blocks 69 being secured to adjustingrods 71 adjustable back and forth by means of a thumb-screw 72 working in a threaded bushing 73. The rods 71 have adjustable stops, such as 74, formed by adjusting and check nuts, between which and fixed points on the swinging frame, springs 7 5 work. The shaft 68 carries a pinion 76 in mesh with the spur-gear 58 and 'by means of which the doctor-roll 67 is rotated continuously from. the glue-roll. The construction just described is such as to permit the doctor-roll to be adjusted toward or away from the glue-roll to regulate the thickness .of the film of glue or other adhesive on the face of the roll 56 and also permits the doctor-roll to move away from the glue-roll .and ride harmlessly over any lump or other obstruction that may be carried by the glue. The other position of the doctor-roll is, however, determined by the adjustment of the thumbscrew 72.

On the inner face of the gear 58 is shown a side cam 77 for the purpose of imparting endwise movement to the shaft 61 and the pick-off fingers carried thereby. This shaft has an arm 78 projecting therefrom and carrying an anti-friction roll 79 in contact with the face of the cam 77, and between the arm 78 and a fixed face of the swinging frame 60 is shown herein a coiled spring 80, (see Fig. 2), for normally moving the arm 78 and the shaft 61 and its pick-off fingers toward the left-hand side of the machine. It will be clear that this spring is compressed and extended at each rotation of the cam 77 and that the pick-off fingers 62 are caused by the endwise movement of the shaft 61 to vmove continuously back and forth across the face of the glue-roll to pick off the sheets therefrom and prevent them from being carried down into the glue-trough. This reciprocation of the pick-off fingers is for the purpose of preventing scoring and streaking of the glue roll.

The frame 60 as a whole, and with it the glue-roll, the doctor-roll and associated parts, may be swung up and down to carry the glue-roll out of the glue-trough for convenience in cleaning and washing the glue roll, glue-trough and various other parts of the machine. Here the frame 60 is connected at its opposite sides by means of a pair of short connecting-rods or links 81 to the forward ends of rock-arms 82 secured to opposite ends of a. rock-shaft 83 mounted in bearings carried at the upper side of the frame-pieces 7. A strong coiled spring 84:

is coiled around this shaft 83 and secured at one of its ends thereto, its other end being secured to a ratchet-wheel 85 loosely mounted on said shaft. This ratchet-wheel is held in place by a locking pawl, such as 86. The parts are so combined that when the swinging frame is thrown up to elevate the glue-roll and other parts above the gluetrough, the tension of the spring 84 will be slightly released, the positions of the parts at this time being indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1, from which it will be seen that the links and rock-arms 81 and 82 are substantially in the dead-center position, in which they are easily held. by the spring. Of course, the weight of the parts is sufiicient to hold them in the position shown in full lines in said view. When it is desired to lower the parts from the elevated to the working posi tion, this may be done by a strong pull on the outer or forward end of the swinging frame.

The adhesive or glue is contained in the glue-trough 55 to any desired depth, and

this glue is kept in the proper liquid condition by heat applied to it, as by means of hot water in a chamber 87. The water in this chamber may be heated by means of a steam-coil, the ends of which are shown at 88 and 89, passing into and out of openings, such as 90 and 91. The chamber 87 is filled through an opening closed by a. cap, such as 92.

For the purpose of stopping the machine entirely and starting it again, should it become necessary to do so, a hand-lever is illus trated at 93, this hand-lever serving to clutch the band-wheel 6 to or disengage it from the shaft 5, in a manner well understood. In the ordinary operation of the machine, however, this hand-lever will not be used, as the shaft 5 will be continuously rotated, as before described. A hand-wheel 94 is shown at the opposite end of the shaft 5 from the hand-lever 93 for the purpose of turning said shaft a small amount by hand when so desired.

What I claim is 1. In a machine of the character described, the combination with a glue-trough, of a glue-roll, a swinging frame in which said glue-roll is mounted, said frame being adapted to swing to such a position that the glue roll will be entirely removed from the trough, and means for counterpoising the weight of said frame and roll.

2. In a machine of the character described, the combination with a glue-trough, of a glue-roll, a swinging frame in which said glue-roll is mounted, said frame being adapted to swing to such a position that the glue roll will be entirely removed from the trough, and a spring for holding the frame and roll in an elevated position.

3. In a machine of the character described, the combination with a glue-trough, of a glue roll, a swinging frame in which said glue-roll is mounted for movement into and out of said trough, and an adjustable doctorroll also mounted on said frame in cooperative relation with said glue-roll.

4. In a machine of the kind described, a glue-roll, a swinging frame in which said glue-roll is mounted, an adjustable doctorroll cooperating with the glue roll and mounted in said frame, means carried by said frame to adjust the distance between the doctor-roll and the glue-roll, and yielding means also carried by said frame to permit the doctor-roll to move away from the glue-roll.

5. In a machine of the kind described, a

glue-roll, a swinging frame in which said glue-roll is mounted, an adjustable doctorroll cooperating with the glue-roll and mounted in said frame, means carried by said frame to adjust the distance between the doctorroll and the glue-r011, yielding means also carried by said frame to permit the doctorroll to move away from the glue-r011, and

gearing movable with said swinging frame and associated with the doctor-r011 and glueroll to drive the former from the latter.

Signed at Rochester, in the county of Monnoe and State of New York this 13th day of November, A. D. 1914:.

EDGAR M. HAWKINS.

Witnesses:

T1103. D. PATTON, ROBERT J. GARRISON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the commissioner of ratentl, Washington, D. G. 

